mr. khanna: today as you can see, we are united in restoring trust in government. we are not here as partisans, but here as patriots. we begin the work of bringing this country together, progressives, and maga supporters to demand truth and justice. a nation that allows rich and

powerful men to traffic and abuse young girls without consequence is a nation that has lost its moral and spiritual core. americans are asking a very spiritual simple question. how is it possible in the most richest and powerful country in the world there are corrupt special interests both foreign and domestic that are preventing the release that have a stranglehold and preventing the release of the full epstein files. there is something that is rotten in washington. less than 1% of these files have been released. we are demanding today on the discharge petition that all of the files be released. we know we have 212 democrats and we have four republicans,

courageous republicans like thomas massie and nancy mace who was so emotional after talking to the survivors, congresswoman boebert and congresswoman marjorie taylor greene. so we gather here on the steps of the capitol. today we stand with survivors. we stand against big money. we stand to protect america's children. that is really what this is about. i now want to bring up my republican colleague thomas massie who has shown so much courage and leadership. i say the same thing about marjorie taylor greene. and people were calling her names. we have to stop that. and stop the partisanship on this issue. they have shown courage and

leadership and i appreciate them joining us today. congressman massie. mr. massie: i thank my colleague representative khanna for bringing justice. i hope my colleagues are watching this press conference and think what if this was your sister or daughter. when these survivors speak. the washington establishment is asking the american public to believe something that is not believable. they are asking you to believe that two individuals created hundreds of victims and acted alone and that the d.o.j. has no idea who else might have been involved, that nobody else did anything that rose to a criminal enterprise. the american people know that's not true. the speaker of the house offered a if anything leaf to my colleagues and vote on a nonbinding resolution today that does absolutely nothing.

i appreciate the efforts of my colleague james comer who is leading the oversight committee. they may find some information, but they are allowing the d.o.j. to cure ate the information that the d.o.j. is giving them. look at the pages that are heavily redacted and 97% of this is already in the public domain. i am calling on my colleagues, be one of the next two who sponsors this discharge petition. i think it's shameful this has been called a hoax. hopefully today we can clear that up. this is not a hoax. this is real. there are real survivors. there are real victims to this criminal enterprise and the perpetrators are being protected because they are rich and powerful and political donors to the establishment here in washington, d.c..

so today we are standing with these survivors and giving them a voice and close by thanking them. they are brave. i hope they encourage other survivors to come forward and to tell their stories, not just of jeffrey epstein and maxwell but anywhere in the country. this is a message that we are sending. can we drain the swamp? are there people who are outside of the reach of the law? i don't think there should be. so hopefully today we will get two more signatures on the discharge petition. and with that, i introduce the bravest woman in congress marjorie taylor greene. the three republican co-sponsors are women. and marjorie was the first to do it and she deserves all of our

gratitude for breaking that barrier and leading the way for the other republicans and hopefully they can find their spines as well. with that i give you marjorie taylor greene. ms. greene: this is an issue that doesn't have political boundaries and issue that republicans and democrats should never fight about. it is such and important issue and bring us all together. it has grieved me to watch the arguments and debates take place among my colleagues and the administration. i think that this is something worth fighting for. the women behind me are going to tell you stories that you have never heard you before. these are unimaginable horrors

they have lived with their entire lives since they were very young. and stories that many children, teenagers, women and even men are enduring nightmares right now as we speak. you see these women have been fighting since the 1990's. i heard one woman tell us since 1996 and have carried with them shame. but i want to tell you something, the shame does not fall on these brave, courageous women. the shame falls on every single person that coldly turned a blind eye to their abuse. the shame falls on every single person that enabled it. the shame falls on every single person that took money to continuity and the shame falls on the people in power over the

past several decades that protected the monster jeffrey epstein and his cabal that knted a nightmare. those people deserve the shame. today we are going to fight like hell for these women because we have to fight like hell that those who are enduring sexual abuse and living in a prison of shame. anyone who is being abused, it is not your fault, you should not live with guilt, fault or shame. all of the fault belongs to the evil people that do these things to the innocent. this is the most important fight we can wage here in congress. fighting for innocent people that never received justice and the women behind me never received justice. you know what? jeffrey epstein walked among the

most rich, powerful people in america. yesterday, i heard countries like saudi arabia, russia and even israel and other countries. the truth needs to come out. and the government holds the truth. the cases that are sealed hold the truth. jeffrey epstein's estate holds the truth. the f.b.i., d.o.j. and c.i.a. hold the truth and the truth we are demanding come out. on behalf of these women but also as a strong message to every innocent child, teenager, woman and man that is being held captive rntion this should never happen in america and it should never be a political issue that divides us. i thank ro khanna and thomas

massie crossing political boundaries for an important fight and i am honored to join both of them and honored that nancy mace and lauren boebert signed the discharge petition. i ask you not to choose one path to justice and accountability, but i ask my republicans to choose every path for justice and accountability and transparency. with that, i would like to bring back representative khanna to start this important press conference. thank you very much. mr. khanna: that you for your coverage and i would like to introduce two people who have been fighting this for decades. they haven't heard their voices

heard and they have been doing this in the wilderness for. bradley edwards and brittney henderson who are the attorneys for the victims. >> whoo! >> thank you ro and thomas massie. i appreciate you putting forth this discharge petition. it's tough to understand that we have to be here because it doesn't seem like a partisan issue. sexual abuse transcends politics. we as americans expect equal protection and jeffrey epstein received better protection than the victims received for years. in 2008, courtney wild walked into my office because she was under investigation and all she wanted was the government to

talk to her. the government worked out a secret immunity deal for epstein and had to file january doe versus united states of america that he worked out an illegal nonprosecution agreement. it took us 10 years battling the government for the judge to determine that the victims' rights were violated. the government has mistreated them. we filed lawsuits against maxwell. our civil lawsuits led to her prosecution and filed lawsuits against epstein, against his estate and jpmorgan and deutch bank that they knowingly provided financial infrastructure for a sex trafficking operation. all of the documents we have worked so hard, hid behind bank

secrecy laws, that is why the discharge petition. when you see the documents you will be appalled and the american people. when you sign the discharge petition, it should mean nothing is. and it should be made available. it is time to make a difference for the women. they have been courageous and fought for this whole thing. whether you are a republican or democrat. you are an american that is

about equal protection under the law. if you care about these women and our country, this should pass with flying colors. i appreciate everyone being here. >> good morning, i'm brittney henderson. we need to thank the women and the other lawyers and people who have been fighting for a long time to give attention to an issue that should have had. this administration has the opportunity to do what the past administrations did not do. it could stand with the victims or for the victims or hurt the victims. we aren't here just to ask for transparency but for protection. the women here represent

hundreds of other women we have spoken to, many of whom were trafficked from eastern european countries. women don't have the protections we have here and those women are terrified their names will be released and the government won't know so we ask whoever is going to be in charge of redacting these files do it in a way that protects the women who are terrified that every day when they turn the tv on that something is going to happen to them because no one is listening to them. thank you for being here. protect these women. >> i stand before you today as a survivor of jeffrey epstein and

ghislaine maxwell. i thank my attorneys in their role for putting this together. every day of this journey has come at a profound cost to my mental health but i am here. i chose to come because this really matters. i speak today not only in service of my own recovery trauma but to honor the lives, courage and sacrifices of virginia, car line and briana and others who could not continue. their voices mattered and stories must not be forgotten. accountability is what makes a society civilized. equal opportunity and equal consequence for all. consequence isn't about punishment but it is about

future harm to protect the vulnerable and the standard of justice. if ghislaine maxwell were pardoned it would undermine the sacrifices that i made to testify and make all survivors suffer. the the epstein files transparency act. it requires that it release the records, immunity deals, internal communications and the records surrounding his death and withholding documents because of or political sensitivity. this is about ending see creasy whenever power takes root. transparency alone is not enough. survivors need protection, resources and legal support. if this congress is serious about justice, let this moment affirm your commitment to

provide victims with the legal aid they need to confront abuse errs and reclaim their power. transparency must be matched by support or else too many victims will remain silent out of fear or lack of access. statistics demand action. nearly one in five will experience rape or attempted rape. every 74 seconds, someone is sexually assaulted. every nine minutes, that person is a child. these are not numbers, they are people. they are your daughters, your sons, your constituents, your friends. statistically, one in your five in your families will face this nightmare. the days of sweeping this under the rug are over. we, the survivors say no more. i want to help create a world

with where survivors can come forward safely and i ask congress to join me in that effort not only bypassing this bill but by ensuring that those who step forward have legal support and see justice done. >> hear my voice, the voice that had been silenced for so many years. make no mistake, my exeter i

don't remember is a shield that hides the wound that still bleeds. i am part of lasting change in how we confront exploitation and abuse. the only motive for opposing this bill is to conceal wrongdoing. you have a choice. stand with the truth or with the lies that have protected predators for decades. i am no longer weak. i am no longer powerless and i am no longer alone. and with your vote, neither will the next generation be. president trump, you have so much influence and power in this situation, please use that influence and power to help us because we need it now and this country needs it now. thank you.

[applause] >> i'm annie farmer and i was 16 years old to spend the weekend in mexico with epstein and maxwell and my sister reported what happened and her own assault at their hands and theft of sensitive photos of her, myself. i am now 46 years old. 30 years later, we don't know why that report wasn't investigated or why epstein and his associates were allowed to harm hundreds and thousands of other young girls. we have never been told whether the images were found when they discovered sexual abuse on his

property. as a psychologist when the system is meant to protect us recreate the abuse cycle can be just as damaging. this happens when survivors of these crimes are not believed, when our well-being is not weighed as heavily and perpetrators are given a platform. for so many years, it felt like epstein's criminal behavior was an open secret. not only did many others participate in the abuse, it is clear that many were aware of his interest in young girls and women and chose to look the other way. they wanted access to his circle and his money. their choice to align with his power left those of us who had been harmed by this man and his

associates were isolated. i could never imagine being here today and core of support we have all received. i have been sent so many notes and messages, people with no direct connection who expressed solidarity and that is because in part as explained so well, this is an extremely widespread of sexual abuse, violence and affects every family in some way. from my conversation with women the last few days and all of the support we received, it is clear to me that we are not going away and not going to be quiet or give up. and i ask the american public to stand with us and not give up. at a time of record high level of distrust in our institutions and one for those with power and

privilege and one for everyone else passing this bill is one important step that can prove to americans that the government does not side with sexual perpetrators. a thorough review is an important step in preventing the failures that have occurred in this case and harmed all of us and important healing for all of us involved. thank you. [applause] >> hello everyone, thank you for being here today on this very powerful and special day for all of us here. my name is marinala cerda and i was victim one in epstein indictment. i was one of dozen girls that i personally know that were forced into jeffrey's epstein on # east

new york city when we were just kids. today is the first time i ever speak publicly about what happened to me. i never thought i would find myself here. the only reason i am here is because it is feels that the people who matter care about what we have to say. as an immigrant from brazil the little girl struggling to get by at 14 and 15 years old has a voice. for the first time i feel like i matter as an american. i was only 14 years old when i met jeffrey. i was working three jobs to try to support my mom when a friend of mine in the neighborhood told me i could make 300 to give a guy a massage and went from a dream job to the worst nightmare. his assistant would call me and tell me that i needed to be at

the house so often that i dropped out of high school before ninth grade and i never went grade. from 14-17 years old and i worked for jeffrey instead of receiving an education. i hoped he would offer me a real job as one of his assistants or something important. i finally made it big, the american dream. that day never came. i had no way out. until he told me i was too old. there are many pieces of my story that i can't remember no matter how hard i try. the constant state causes me so much fear and constitution. my therapist said my brain is trying to protect itself but it is hard that people know more about my abuse than i do.

the worst part is that the government is still in possession right now of the documents and information about that could help me remember and get overall of this maybe and make me heal. they have documents with my name that were confiscated from jeffrey epstein's house and could put the pieces back together. i know the same is true for many of these women. we are here to support this bill today not only for transparency but for the american people. but if the government is going to release the documents to the public describing the crimes

committed by jeffrey epstein and others, the thing they could do is give me the documents about me and the others deserve the same respect. while identifying information must be redacted it is important to provide the victims themselves with unredacted information. i will never for give the f.b.i. agents that showed up at my door. epstein had a lawyer to represent me or represent him. i couldn't ask any questions. i was terrified. i think most of us are still terrified. i thought somebody was going to kill me and i thought something was going to happen to my sister and mother and i thought something would happen in brazil with my family. and then one day the lawyer said

everything was going to go away, like nothing happened. i didn't need to testify. when i asked him why, he gave no explanation. that was it. so why? why wasn't i called to testify then? we could have saved so many women and lives from being abused. why did he get away with it in 2008? why was he able to go on with the abuse with hundreds of girls? why didn't they let me testify to help stop him? our government could have saved so many women but epstein was too important and those women didn't matter. why? well, we matter now. we are here today and we are speaking and we are not going to stop speaking. today, i stand here with the

women who have really helped me to find the strength to come out and come forward to share my story for the very first time. together, we are stronger than ever. while she may not be with us, virginia roberts, we will continue to use our voices to strengthen those others. thank you. [applause] >> i'm courtney wild. i wanted to take a second and have a moment of silence for the women survivors who aren't with us today that passed away due to anxiety, depression, trying to keep up with this case. a moment of silence, please.

thank you. my name is courtney wild. i was only 14 years old when i was introduced by a 13-year-old friend of mine. the details of abuse that he inflicted on me is not important today and in 20 -- 2008 i was cooperating with the government. they sent me a letter telling me to be patient because this was going to be a lengthy investigation but at the same time they refused to talk to me and tell me so i hired an attorney brad edwards because i was hopeful to get answers. when i was walking into his office the government refused to tell me what was going on. the only reason anyone found out that the government had given epstein imneunt was because our lawsuit forced the government to tell us.

otherwise, nobody would know that today. sometimes it's hard to believe i had to sue the united states just to learn that my abuser was given immunity. i started as jane doe but i took on our country and right side of history. we fought the government for 10 years to prove that the government violated our rights in order toll protect apedophile. and we forced the government to turn over governments of pages of emails. those emails provided the proof that the government worked very hard with jeffrey epstein to violate our rights. why? why did the the government protect jeffrey and not protect me and my other innocent friends? why was jeffrey so important to the government and why was i so

insignificant? why did nobody but our lawyers care before now? people started to care because of twitter and politics. this has nothing to do with politics, this isn't a blue thing or red thing. we can all agree on this, the injustice that has happened here. multiple over and over, everybody that talks about this just seems to make it worse. we need transparency. it's time for us to see beyond the curtain. why was he so protected, who is still being protected and who protected them all so the world can understand how he abused so many of us for so long. i was lucky to have attorneys take on my case and fight fearlessly over 20 years time.

i would like to thank them and ask the trump administration to sign off on the crime victim's that's we are trying to get passed here and close the loopholes that epstein's attorney used for their benefit to get away with this. thank you so much. [applause] >> good morning. first and foremost, we extend our gratitude to brad edwards, congressman massie and row khanna and the brave survivors

with the privilege of speaking today on behalf of virginia. as her family. we are here today because we support the epstein file transparency act in its entirety. but as much as this bill is shining a light on truth, it's just not about the bill, this is about justice. this is about survivors. this is about justice against the rich and powerful who have stolen something from these women and many children at the time, their freedom, the freedom to live their life without physical and mental scars that were inflicted that those thought. the same monsters, they should never be afforded or allowed to continue their lives with impunity. let's be clear, this is not a

political issue. this is not about left or right, this is about humanity. this is about doing what's right and about ensuring that the future we leave behind where the powerful can hide behind their wealth, influence to evade justice. i plead whether you are a mom, dad, brother or sister look the young ones in the face and tell them you didn't stand against the very people who raped, molested and preyed upon children. tell them you were willing to negotiate a deal. money should never make something right or wrong. if you vote no, your stance will be clear. you are standing on the side of the rich and powerful and money buying your way out. look these survivors in the eye

and tell them why. and look the people in the united states and tell them why and then when you're alone look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself why and virginia said it best, i have physical and mental scars that will never heal and i have memories that will never go away. they say time will heal, but this won't not until the justice make this, i just call it money. the only time i can begin to heal when the freedom is taken from them just like they did to me. the survivors of this horrific abuse are watching the american people are watching and history is watching. which side will you be on? thank you. [applause]

>> hello, my name is lisa jones and i was only 14 years old when my friend brought me over to jeffrey epstein's house in 2003. i had a terrible home life but i was innocent and i always did my best in school and a positive outlook in life. until that day when i met jeffrey, i had never been more scared until that first time. i remember crying the entire way home how i could ever tell anyone about what actually happened in that house. this guy was so rich and so many pictures with so many famous people no one would ever believe me. i thank congressman khanna and

congressman massie and it was hard for me to find my voice and speak about my abuse. i didn't come forward until 2019 and even when ash and even then it was like i was afraid of a ghost. i know i was just a little kid, but sometimes i still feel like it is my fault this has happened. given the opportunity to speak about something that is so important not just about me and the women before you but the entire country. together, we can make a change. and that is thanks to the people like these two congressmen and their teams who actually care about the victims. if you are a member of congress and listening to us today, please listen to us. please vote for this bill to be passed and recognize how

important it is for transparency relating to jeffrey epstein. whether you are a republican or democrat, it does not matter. you are an american and a person who has chosen to serve to stand up for those who cannot represent themeses. we are those people and we are the americans you promised to protect and we need your help. please, president trump, pass this bill and help us. make us feel like our voices are finally being heard. thank you. [applause] good afternoon. i'm haley rob son.

i was a 16-year-old who made good grades when i was recruited by a classmate along side with a 25-year-old if i wanted to a give rich guy a massage. that day changed my life. and when i got in the massage room, jeffrey epstein undressed and asked me to do things to him. my eyes weld up with tears and i had never been scared. when i was over, he paid me 200 and requested that i bring a girl each time to make another $200. i told him i didn't want to do that. he said he come here and massage you or bring you a 200. he called me every day. he was so wealthy and powerful

and wouldn't let me go. if i disobeyed him i knew something bad would happen. knowing i didn't want to be sexually abused, i started to bring him other girls from my high school and paid me $200 for bringing them. i just hoped each time would be the last time. step mom called the police and police called me and called me in for questioning. i told them the fact that i was a teenager and minor and tell them the names of other and the police treated me like a criminal. i had 18 and i was with jeffrey for 16. he told me that i distributed -- they told me i was going to be arrested and my name was distributed to the press as a

co-conspirator. my entire world was crashing in and started being and to this day still receiving death treats. i had to suffer a smear campaign of lies about me because of the way i was portrayed by the press. the press made me out to be a predator when i was 16 years old who was sexually abused by an evil man. my boyfriend was murdered and nowhere to turn. the government after investigating more learned that i was truly a victim but the damage was done and too late. no way to undo the harm. in 2019, i met brad and brittney. they changed my life and believed in me. healing is a process and i may

never get there. but the passage of this bill requiring the government to produce all the evidence that had been gathered on jeffrey and ghislaine is a huge component and the many other women who suffered for so long. first we and the rest of the world need answers. why was she protective and why didn't anyone stop him. doesn't take a brain surgeon and paying thousands of dollars a day abusing high school girls, i learned through my attorneys in the jpmorgan and he withdrew a million dollars in cash a year? was that not a big enough red flag and wire transfers to other victims and the government can not protect us. the banks did not protect us. lift the curtain on these files

and be transparent. every time whether he is still alive what powerful person had him murdered who was on the client list and there are names going around, we are suffering severely. we take our kids to school and everyone is talking about it. and we can't ignore the stories that are living on because the government refuses to. stories hurt real people. real people who have been hurt and we have lost so many victims to suicide and maintaining the real streught and tell lies that drive up our fears and will lead to more pain, more suffering and honestly more deaths of innocent victim. the time is right to do by us.

unseal the documents and requesting transparency and requesting every congressman and woman be outed. i want to know. thank you. >> hi, there, i'm lisa phillips, i'm the host of an award-nominate podcast, a platform supporting survivors. i want to thank all my sisters who came before me. i'll be short. i was taken to epstein island. what i saw and experienced there was a glimpse into a very dark and disturbing life. for years after, i tried to

avoid jeffrey. but he was there. his reach went to the top of the fashion world. this didn't just happen to young girls in florida. it happened in new york. he was not just a serial predator he was a human trafficker. many around him knew, many participated, many profited. and yet he was protected. so i stand here today, for every woman who has been silenced, exploited and dismissed. we are not asking for pity. we are here demanding accountability and i'm demanding justice. congress must choose. will you continue to protect predators? or will you finally protect

survivors? and also, i would like to announce here today, us epstein survivors have been discussing creating our own list. we know the names. many of us were abused by them. now together as survivors we will confidentially compile the names we all know. who regularly -- who were regularly in the epstein world. and it will be done by survivors and for survivors. no one else is involved. stay tuned for more details. [applause] >> hello, my name is shantae davy, i'm here before you as a survivor, survivor of decades of pain, trauma, and betrayal at the hands of ghislaine maxwell

and jeffrey epstein -- epstein and the people who enable them and a government who refused to help. i was living in california, i was beginning to make a name for myself as an actress. someone i trusted invited me to meet a powerful woman who could help advance my career. that woman was ghislaine maxwell. i was asked to give her a massage though i had no experience. she praised me and promised to introduce me to someone who could change the course of my life. at first i was an excited woman on top of the world. epstein flew me to his private island, listened to my dreams and promised to help. but it came with a catch. the abuse began. he manipulated me with quid pro quo i did not consent to but i had no one to turn to, he was too powerful. i was one of the many young women trapped in his orbit. i was take on a trip to africa

with former president bill clinton and other notable figures. i realized in those moments how powerless i was. who would believe me? who would would protect me? epstein sur rounded himself with the most powerful leaders in the world. he abused not only me but countless others. the truth is, epstein had a free pass. he bragged about his powerful friends, including our current president donald trump. it was his biggest brag, actually. and while i -- what i endurele -- what i endured will haunt me forever, i live every day with ptsd. i live as a mother trying to raise my child while distrusting a world. this trauma never leaves you. it breaks families apart and shapes the way we see the world around us. unless we see -- learn from this history monsters like epstein will rise again. there are government files that

hold the truth about epstein. who we he knew. who owed him. who protected him. why he was allowed to operate for so long without consequence. why was maxwell the only one held accountable when so many others played a role? why does the government hide this information from the public? this secrecy is not protection, it's complicity. and as long as the truth is buried justice will remain out ovarism that's why this bill matters. passing it will -- bless you. will ensure that the suffering of survivors is not in vain. passing it will bring accountability, transparency and prevention. it will help catch the next generation of predators who seek to place themselves above the law through wealth and connections. this is not just my story. it's about every survivor who carries invisible scars. it's about the families broken and the future stolen. so i ask you, president trump,

and members of congress, why do we continue to cover up sexual abuse and assault? who are we covering for? let the public know the truth. we cannot heal without justice. we cannot protect the future if we refuse to confront the past. thank you. [applause] >> just give a round of applause for all the courage of these women. we now will take a few questions, you can always stop me or congressman massie or congresswoman greene in the hallways if you see us, that's fine. but i want to see if you have questions for the lawyers or survivors. brad will facilitate questions for survivors.

yes. >> [inaudible] >> i'll answer that. mr. president donald j. trump, i am a registered republican, not that that matters because this is not political. however i cordially invite you to the capitol to meet me in person so you can understand this is not a hoax. we are real human beings. this is real trauma. it's being gutted from the inside out. not that i would know what that feels like. but i imagine it's the anxiety buildup with the depression and the survivor mode and then your nervous system goes limp and ironically is shot and it feels like you just want to explode inside because nobody, again, is understanding that this is a real situation. these women are real. we're here in person.

to say that it's a hoax is just not -- please humanize us. i would like donald j. trump and every person in america and around the world to humanize us. to see us for who we are, to hear us for what we have to say. there's no hoax. the abuse was real. now what goes on behind closed doors, i can't speak for that. what happens around the world politically, i cannot speak for that. but i am here with all these women, including our attorney, and i would be more than happy to meet with him. i will meet him halfway. [applause] >> [inaudible] >> about the transfer -- >> i'm happy to speak to that. we were horrified to learn that she had been transferred to a prison camp. she is someone who was found

guilty by a jury of sex trafficking. she not only -- we often hear that she procured women for jeffrey which is, i think, a very sort of polite and minimizing term. she also participated in abuse. she was a major architect of the scheme. and the fact that she's painting herself as a victim i think is disgusting. it was horrifying to us that we were not told about her prison transfer. we found out about it on the news. >> so, i testified alongside annie at the trial of ghislaine maxwell. i was or fid when i found out not only had she been transferred to what's called a, you know, a low-security, it's really like a holiday camp. and then afterwards i got a notification from the department of justice telling me that this

was -- when it had already happened. this woman abused children. [plane noises] >> i was abused by jeffrey epstein and ghislaine maxwell for 10 years. maxwell was present for some of my abuse at the hand of jeffrey maxwell. she was present, she was enabling. it's appalling and disgusting. it's one of my worst nightmares that she not only be transferred but that the possibility is very much going around she may be pardoned. this is not ok. this is not ok. >> i want to add that i think it sends a dangerous message to our country, to young people now country, that someone we all know is aware of these crimes could be given a pass.

>> she said that epstein would brag about a relationship with donald trump. could she elaborate on that? >> shontae. >> yeah, i did say that. [prone noises] my first trip to the palm beach residence, i drove there from the airport with ghislaine maxwell. and they -- jeffrey and ghislaine were always boastful about their friends, they famous, powerful friends. his biggest brag forever was he was a very good friends with donald trump, he had an 8 by 10 framed photo of the two of them on his desk. >> one second. one second.

solisa what's the vision here? >> we're reaching out to survivors who are scared to come forward and also know who they were trafficked to. that's the list we're compiling. we're not quite sure, you know, how we're going to release that, or even if we're going to. the department of justice needs to release the list. [inaudible] >> why can't you say the names? >> why do we have to say the names when the government knows the names? and we're also scared to do so. look what's happened to so many survivors that have revealed names. >> i think it's also worth saying that having represented, i think, between our firm and

others, hundreds of victims and we talked to them about the various people they were farm out to. we've created somewhat of a list. most of these individuals, the victims, are very scared to say these names because they could get sued. they're going to get attacked. nobody protected them the first time. that was against one person. so is there a list? there is a list. but just to dispel kind of the common theme here, every one of these women was abused by jeffrey epstein and his scheme was to personally abuse women. when they reached a certain age he did farm a section of them, some of them, out to some of his friends. that doesn't mean all of his friends. with that said, i'm more than happy to assist in helping to create the list behind the scenes and see what we do with it. >> hold on, i think if someone is interested in prosecuting, we could share the list. but we aren't going to share the

list if nothing is going to happen. >> yesterday you said you had concerns about your names being released if this bill was passed. some people are not signing the discharge petition because they say you don't want them to. can you clarify? >> do any of the survivors here not want the bill to pass? >> first of all, our legislation, ro khanna and i went through this. we are very careful to make sure that there is an exception so that personally identifiable information, not just their names but anything they can be identified by, would not be disclosed. >> i think all of them are on the same page. they want everything released. redact personally identifiable information and release everything else.

ok. >> this is the first time, does it matter -- why today? why now? >> well, it is not ok for us to be silenced. it's not ok for jeffrey epstein and everybody else to be put on pedestal. i think everybody needs to hear from us because we know what went on. right? and there's not only me who has been silenced. there are hundreds of women who are silenced. my hope is to stop this abuse for the future, right. for people that are coming up, for women. my daughter, for example. these people -- these women have daughters. they don't want that anymore. and i think mainly, it is -- it is -- this is therapy for all of us too. we want to be heard. nobody also has never asked me

to speak. that's also another thing. so i can say for all of us here, we are here. we want this bill to pass. it is very important. ok. we need transparency. we are tired of looking at the news and seeing jeffrey epstein's name and saying that this is a hoax. we are tired of it. we are done. we are not going to be silenced. i hope that my voice will bring other survivors and orr victims to come along and speak up so that we can be more of a stronger voice and louder. >> listen, i don't like to -- i don't want to send a direct message to him. i am already scared enough. just pass the vote. listen to us. this is not a hoax. like, it's not going to go away. like i said in my speech earlier, we are not going to be silenced anymore. we will be speaking moving forward, wherever we need to be. we will be. and we need to pass this.

>> go ahead. [inaudible] >> there's not a list. here's what it was. just like you heard everybody today, jeffrey epstein created through an organization that -- of enablers, of people on his payroll, it was a complicated scheme where others should still be investigated because they helped to enable him and operate this scheme. without those people, he could not have done this. but the purpose was for him to personally abuse people with that being said, certain of his friends, he farmed out certain of the women that he was exploiting to. but that wasn't the primary purpose of the scheme. i don't think he wrote the names of those people down. there's not a list of hey, here's all the people i sent females to. that's not how that organization

worked. >> [inaudible] >> i think the safest thing for me to say is all files should come out, whether it's with the c.i.a., fincen, f.b.i., i'm not just making these up haphazardly, i'm giving you a road map where to look. i'll go first and then -- they are much more important than me. i don't understand why it's a hostile act. i can tell you i talked to president clinton -- i'm sorry, president trump back in 2009 and several times after that, he didn't think it was a hoax then. in fact, he helped me he got on the phone. he told me things that were helping our investigation. now our investigation wasn't looking into him. but he was helping us then he didn't treat this as a hoax. so at this point in a time, i would hope he would revert back

to what he was saying to get elected which is, i want transparency. this about-face that occurred, none of us understand it. i don't understand how this is an issue that's up for debate. how do you not stand mind these women after you've heard their stories and know that hundreds of them were abused and it was only because files are being kept in secrecy, the world should know who he is, who protected him and the other people out there to be investigated need to be investigated. go ahead. >> people currently serving in government, who are paying, that you know of, who are in these file, you had relations with, anything to connect. >> i don't think i can answer.

[inaudible] >> hi. i have been threatened. i was threatened by phone, my daughter was threatened when i was volunteering to participate in, by means of being a witness in a civil lawsuit that virginia giuffre was bringing against ghislaine maxwell. i have been followed. i have been stalked. i have been followed not only by journalists but by people who do not get out of the car and do not try to talk to me and just drive behind me as i drive my daughter to school. so the fear very real for us. i have also been in multiple situations with both jeffrey epstein and ghislaine maxwell where they have been direct and indirect about implying and saying that if i was to talk, if i was to bring any kind of trouble, then there would be severe consequence including death. >> just to add to that, you

know, maxwell also threatened my sister, when the f.b.i. did nothing about her initial report she reported individually at that time. in 2002 we spoke to a reporter at "vanity fair" telling our store, refearful that perhaps other people were being harm. we were not, we believed that was going to make a difference we believed it would be put in print. that story was crushed. it was because of their power and the message we got from that was direct teles from maxwell to my sister about her well being and her safety and that of our family. i think many people have similar stories of threats. that's been a very real part of this case. >> over here. [inaudible] >> i just want to say, one thing that's very career clear.

when people say, please share names. there are names that are very well knowns like les wexner who everyone knows supplied an enormous amount of epstein's financial wealth and allowed this operation to happen. i think it's confusing to many of us why there haven't been more ramifications for him, and he's been seen as a victim when clearly i believe there's more to it. >> [inaudible] >> don't answer that. >> next question. we're not answering your question. anybody else? >> interview given with ghislaine mackwell. >> ma'am, i think you had a question.

>> about the existence of the epstein book have you seen -- >> i don't know that we're able to reveal what we have seen and what have not seen by way of protective order. my point being in that circumstance, if anybody wants answers, there's an easy place to get it. i told you where to get it. the estate of jeffrey epstein has a subpoena served on them, they would turn it over. if we served a subpoena on them they would have turned it over. i don't usually miss subpoenas like that. >> to your question about the allegations, there's a simple answer. release the files. let the american public decide. instead of harassing, instead o. look. look. you know, even -- you've been

heard. you've been heard. you've been heard. and even alan deshow wit said, release the files. release the files. that's the answer. that's what we're here for. that is it. [applause] >> can you elaborate on the interactions with donald trump back in 2009 and did you ever see the president -- not the president yet, but did anybody see trump with epstein? >> i don't know -- i don't think we can answer that question. did anybody see trump with epstein? this is not a political thing we want the passage of the bill. this is not to call out president trump. my point was that he was friendly back then, did not

think it was a hoax and was trying to help. and now it seems like all of a sudden, somebody is in his ear and he's not. i'm hoping he'll come back to where he was in 2009 and bonn the side of the victims and stand with us. go ahead. >> [inaudible] >> theresa j. hone, happy to speak on that because what i will say is, she got this air time and platform. her voice wuss elevated. way before our voices were elevated here today. and that same calm, manipulative voice that she had, so polite there that day with todd branch, was the same polite, coercive,

manipulative voice that i heard as she was grooming me to then send me off to the home of jeffrey epstein where he would assault me. so that's what she was doing for hours. speaking with me. building relationship with me. building trust with me. allowing me to believe that i was going to get this job. a dream job that i had been recruited from my college, flown across the country from los angeles to new york city, to interview, so i thought. so her voice that day was the same voice that sent me off to a monster. so believe -- nothing can be believed from what she said. because she's -- she's been charged with perjury. i myself could sit there and listen and as i did, i sat there and listened to this woman's voice lie. and there was no pushback from

todd branch because does he even have the facts to be able to push back on her? we can sit there and push back. why didn't we get to attend that? why weren't we there that day? why wasn't even one of us consulted prior to that day and that meeting? and why on earth has she been moved from florida, to her -- basically it is prison spa. i mean, you know, let's be real. none of us were consulted. i found out just like everyone here found out. through the media. through all of you we found out. about ghislaine's transfer. so i'm very angry. to sit there and listen, the feelings that come up, listening to this woman's voice, is repulsive. yes, i would say it's trickery. we all worked very hard on healing. and it's still -- it still gets to us. after two decades.

that's a long answer but it's repulsive to sit there and listen to her voice in the interview. >> let's take two more questions. >> the -- from j.p. morgan to the virgin islands. will you go after the d.o.j. or f.b.i.? they're sitting on evidence. >> i think that there's nobody that's immune from us going after them if there's a legitimate action to take so to the extent that that evidence exists, show it to us. we'll help in every way we can we stand with the victims. ok. one more. >> being afraid to come forward with the story, the case of katy johnson who alleged donald trump and jeffrey epstein -- >> i don't think we can talk about that case. i do think it's worth saying,

despite the comments that he made, virginia giuffre is an american hero. she is somebody without whom we would not be able to have this voice. she was the one who had courage to name names, speak out against people, and she was standing up against everybody at one time with an enormous amount of pressure. >> and most of these women are here because of virginia giuffre. >> last one. >> [inaudible] >> i don't think anybody knows. but i can tell you in the oversight committee meeting yesterday, they indicated they were all for transparency, releasing the files and asked us to hold them accountable. isn't that right? they said hold them accountable we intend to hold them accountable. we're going to show them where

to go with it. and as long as they're doing their job, they should. i'm going to turn it back over to ro khanna. thank you. mr. khanna: let me just say this, let me say this. i think the people the people testifying here today, speaking here today, are american heroes. let's give them another round of applause. you say look, thomas, marjorie and i, we're huge believers in the first amendment we believe in free speech we take abuse all the time. but you see why it's so hard to do what they have done. because they come forward, and you subject yourself to national scrutiny and national questioning. i just want to say from the bottom of my heart how appreciative i am and how proud i am of what you've done. you've made a big difference. before i bring on marjorie and then thomas will have the last word, i want to summarize three basic things i heard from the survivors.

first, they want to know why our government covered up for someone rich and powerful. why is it that we have two americas? people say why do you need to release the epstein files if epstein is dead and maxwell is in jail? because we don't know who all was involved in the coverup. why are there rich and powerful people who didn't have justice. they want to know. that second, many said it's important for their own closure. they done know their own abuse. they want to understand what's in these files for themselves. and third, we heard that there are many others who obviously were involved. and they want to know, and the american people deserve to know, what was there in those files. i actually think they're helping us come together as a country. i've never done a press conference with marjorie taylor greene before. you know, i've done some with thomas, but look, this country is divided. it's exhausted. this is one thing. one thing that we can come together on. and i didn't -- i was very clear

with thomas. this is not against president trump. i would like nothing more than a truth social post from him after this saying release the files. be with massie-khanna. this is about something deeper. bringing this country together to stand for america's kids, to restore trust, and to move this country forward. so thank you to the survivors for helping us do that. now i want to introduce marjorie taylor greene. ms. greene: for everyone watching at home, i think it's important to put yourself in these women's shoes. as you're questioning, why can't they just name the names? what you don't realize is they just told their stories of being raped and being abused, being victim ides, being manipulated, being coerced, and basically held in a prison of captivity of

sexual abuse while they were young. young teenagers and extremely young, vulnerable women. and in jeffrey epstein's home and the places they went with him, they saw the most powerful people in the world. in his pictures. and they saw him with those people. can you imagine how terrifying it would be to name names like that? these are some of the richest, most powerful people in the world that could sue these women into poverty and homelessness. yeah. it's a scary thing to name names. but i will tell you, i'm not afraid to name names. and so if they want to give me a list, i will walk in that capitol on the house floor and i'll say every damn name that abused these women. i can do that for them. and i'd be proud to do it. another thing. this is not about politics. and this is a boiling point in american history where the

american people just like ro just said, there's become two americas. there's the america for the rich and the powerful and the elite, where they never face any struggles or problems. and never experience what real america goes through. and then there's forgotten america. that faces all the problems and deals with all the issues. and never gets justice for being sexually assaulted and raped by a monster. it shouldn't exist anymore. people are sick of it. so let's recognize the fact that the administration before and the one before it and the one before it and the one before it and before it, never did anything aboutthis. so this isn't one political party or the other. it's a culmination of everyone, worked together to silence these women and protect jeffrey

epstein and his cabal. and this is not just rich, powerful people. think his drivers. his maids. his chefs. all the people. people that worked in his home. security guards. i heard one story from a young woman that was being raped by jeffrey epstein when he was out on work release while he was serving time in prison. and had an ankle monitor on his leg. guess what? there was a police officer outside that door. so this list of names is quite a list of names. and it doesn't extend just in the rich, powerful circles. it extends down to the very obottom. where people were paid. and again, i will say this. there's victims suffering today in similar circumstances and they're terrified to name the names of the people that are currently abusing them. and so with these brave, courageous women, fighting this

fight, this is a fight for women and children, and any person that is facing sexual abuse and rape and captivity and human trafficking right now. and so here's what i ask you in the press, don't go for salacious headlines. go for the truth. [applause] and defend these women. and help those of us in congress that are crossing our political party lines. and doing the right thing and trying to do it together. and thank you, ro and thank you thomas, and now i recognized thomas massie from kentucky. [applause] mr. massie: well, there's three branches of government and we're supposed to keep each other accountable. and that's what we're doing here today in the people's house. we're standing in front of the people's house, with real people, not a hoax, and they've told their story. we wanted to give them a platform to speak and they've had it. they stepped up, and they were

brave. but i also today hoped they would persuade my colleagues to join this effort. but i found out something today that happened that i didn't expect. they persuaded me to fight even harder. i'm not going to give up. i want to end with this call to action. first a call to action to my colleagues. who just an hour before this press conference, were prepared, they were given a fig leaf. we'll paw resolution on the floor so you can say that you voted to protect the survivors. their resolution doesn't really do anything. and that's the oldest trick in the swamp. when you want to kill the momentum, when you want to kill initiative, you introduce a placebo, a different bill that does nothing. and then try to pull the wool over the eyes of the american people. that's not going to happen this time. this discharge petition.ll get r

we need to force this vote. to pass a law. noto binding legislation to f tha happen. phones. burn down the phonelines here why won't you be for transparency? don't accept their answer that the bill has a flaw or that the survivors don't want it. we know that's not true. they wouldn't be fighting it so hard in this town if it wasn't the real deal. so with that, please, call your congressman. tell him or her to get on this bill and to stand up for

survivors. thank you and god bless. that's the end. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2025] [captioning performed by the national captioning